Script Updated 20071228
Script now includes the wrapper for vmware player 1.0.x in the dotpet package.
Script can now create the dotpet package without rerunning the installer. See below.
Fixed location of generated dotpet package created during installation.
Changed archive from .gz to .tar.gz

Prerequisites:
Make sure you have the development and kernel-source add-ons loaded. If you are using the retro version of Puppy3 you will need to use the 216 or 217 add-ons renamed to 301 -- See here for more info. You can get the required addons from either ftp or http sites.

Important!!
For puppy3 (or puplets based on it) install a functioning insmod first, a copy is available here.

To install VMware Player:
0. Download VMware Player x.y.z for Linux (.tar) to a partition that has ~190M free space
1. Download the attached vminstall.tar.gz to the same location
2. Extract vminstall.tar.gz
3. Run ./vminstall.sh VMware-player-VERSION-BUILD.i386.tar.gz
4. Answer the questions presented by the vmware player installation script as desired (or you could just hit enter for every thing)
5. Answer yes/no to creating a dotpet package from the installed files. If you answer "No", you can create the dotpet later using
./vminstall.sh -p vmware-player-version". Eg ./vminstall.sh -p 2.0.2.

To get full screen in the guest OS
You have to install vmware tools in the guest OS. To obtain the tools you will need to:

1. Download a version of vmware workstation or vmware server (preferably server as it's smaller and free)
2. Extract the files and copy out the iso file for your guest OS eg windows.iso, linux.iso
3. Set the iso as (one of) your cdrom(s) and boot the guest OS
4. Once the guest OS is booted navigate to the cdrom and run the installation program

Things to noteWhich version works
VMware Player 1.0.x
- works in puppy2 but not puppy3

VMware Player 2.0.x
- works in puppy2 and puppy3
- gives me a BSOD for windows guest OSes in puppy2 but works fine in puppy3
this may specific to my machine or maybe due to the version of xorg/gtk/kernel

This script was tested in puppyNOP 301r2 and puppy301.

Dotpet Package
The dotpet package created via the installer is not an unleashed package but rather more like a tgz2pet-converted slackware package. This was the quickest and least space-consuming to create. To covert it to a unleahsed dotpet use the following:

When installing the VMwarePlayer dotpet, it will display a number of missing dependencies which is safe to ignore.

After installing the dotpet, you must either run/etc/init.d/vmware startfrom the console or restart, puppy before you can run vmplayer.

Reinstalling VMware PlayerWill back up installed files as /path-to-file/filename.old.x so if you re-run the installer you should delete these backed-up files to save space.

What this script does
It automates the process of:[/b]
* Patching VMware Player v 1.0.x http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?p=140321#140321
* Patching VMware Player v 2.0.x http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?p=117262#117262
* Creating the /etc/rcX.d directories
* Fixing the menu icon for vmware
* Removing unneeded precompiled modules that take up ~120M of space
* Creates wrapper/launcher script for VMware Player 1.0.x that forces it to use the VMware-packaged gtk
* Optionally creates a dotpet package from the installed files
* Creates vmkill; a script to kill vmware in a pinch if it starts to hog the cpu

Hello,
<Translation on-line>
Good initiative, me which follows a beginner on “puppy linux”, I have much difficulty has to include/understand with all the many links.
If I chose the “puppy linux” it is before very avoiding a maximum the line of order.
User of VMware under Windows, it is necessary that I can also use it in the “puppy linux”.
I have to download a version “VMware player” with the extension “RPM” which does not seem to have posed problem of installation as the picture indicates it.

But now, I do not know how to carry out “VM player” because it does not appear in the list of the menu.
You have an idea to make it start

<Translation on-line>
Hello,
I have the version Toutou linux 03-01.1 in ISO picture.
As currently “VMplayer” is installed with this version, I will test your solution with another installation of “doggie linux”. For the version “VMplayer” that I downloaded, it is the last the “2.0.3-80004.i386.tar.gz”
Concerning version RPM that I tried to install would have a solution.

Hello,
I have again traversed your different known VM and I think that solution is very close, except that for me it is not obvious in all that is known as and this is why you should read again your various interventions according to the list attached, hope of it that that will finally make it possible to make function VM.
For my part I will remake an installation on a new system to see whether I can collect new information.

Hello,
Characteristic of PC AMD 64X2 4200+ 2.2GHz 532 Mb of RAM hard Disk of 4Go with a partition of 3.2 Go in ext2 and one of 0.8 Go in swap linux. “Toutou-linux french” 03.01.1 Kernel 2.6.21.7 installed in “FULL”

I made research on the site of “vmware” or I found a guide. On the basis of this guide, I have remakes the installation, but as shows it the pictures, certain function his step accepted, I thus adapted without really knowing if that is correct, however I think that with this you will be able to correct and found a solution.

6 To use the RPM installer:
a Run RPM specifying the installation file:
rpm -Uhv VMware-<xxxx>.rpm
VMware-<xxxx>.rpm is the installation file. (In the filename
representing the version and build numbers.)
b Run the configuration program from the command line:
vmware-config.pl
7 At the vmware-config.pl prompts, accept the default values.

The version of rpm in puppy is a limited version and WILL NOT perform all the functions of the full RPM.

I assume that the file "/etc/vmware/locations" is supposed to be created during the RPM installation process as it is not packaged in the VMwarePlayer RPM. As mentioned before, the RPM version WILL NOT WORK since it is missing that file.